SURRENDER THE SUN – “TAURI” ALBUM LAUNCH

W/ RED REMEDY • CUERVO • WE WITHOUT

THE FACTORY FLOOR – 20/06/14

“Open the gates!” boomed the hawkeyed sentry. He had spotted Shadowfax the second he emerged from Fangorn Forest, and the rider whose foot had been caught in the stirrups being dragged along behind him like an unwilling cavewoman. The town mystic hastily scurried to my side to apply a balm of eye-of-newt and camel toe to the wounds I had acquired in battle, a battle where Bitch Gimli had fallen victim to the Uruk-hai of Late Night Roster Tower. I awoke in a panic and was immediately bombarded with the banter of hundreds of boozey townsfolk. The mead was going down faster than a housewife in a porno and all memories of the approaching doomsday army had seemed to flee their minds. The villagers were mustering up the strength to stand and fight and had assembled a ragtag group of unwashed musicians to help boost the morale of the regiment. Before I had time to digest the impending danger, the heralding of horns, battle drums and war cries filled the stagnant air. I nervously gripped my halberd, swallowed my fear, and charged headfirst into the hybrid riffraff.

The Factory Floor is a quirky little room adorned with figureheads, murals of Vikings, and hanging lights straight out of Bioshock’s underwater metropolis, Rapture. It set a really cool scene for Sydney rockers WE WITHOUT to woo the already buzzing crowd with the tough opening slot. The sound was a little shaky at first (which is usually the case) but the five-piece were firing on all cylinders by the second song of the set, which sounded heavily influenced by Dead Letter Circus’s “The Mile”. We Without are a grunge band at the core but influences from bands such as Bloc Party, Powderfinger and Faith No More, craft the overall sound into a marble cake of rock. Bassist Rick Thomas grinned like a Gremlin as he demonstrated his vast knowledge of power poses, while guitarist Cameron Roberts introduced a lot of eccentric influence into the fold, including some gorgeous blues licks inspired by The Doors. At the end of the day though it was the frontman who seduced the punters. Chad Kemp has a unique vocal tone similar to Scott Stapp of Creed or Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies (although nowhere near that deep). Even though his vocals were tough to hear at times, he more than made up for it by really having fun with the crowd tonight. His antics included ribbing his bandmates for stuffing up the start of a song, and overcommitting to pumping up the audience in a style very similar to Will Ferrell in Step Brothers. I feel that the following statement is the only way to describe it: It was fucking adorable. My third run-in with We Without proved to be the strongest I’ve seen them perform to date and I am genuinely excited to see where they go from here.  

The room was only at half capacity as Sydney quartet CUERVO hit the stage, but within the opening three seconds of the set, every jaw in the room hit the floor in unison. I was instantly hooked as the bands’ influences rang through unashamedly resplendent, and amalgamated into what I would describe as trance-inducing dance/rock. Arctic Monkeys hit me with a quick left jab while Franz Ferdinand sucker-punched me with a solid right hook. System Of A Down went for cheeky kidney blow while The Living End pulverised my nose with a swinging haymaker. Queens Of The Stone Age finish the job with a Shoryuken to my Spartan jaw that would make Ken and Ryu weep tears of joy. Vocalist/guitarist Nic Villanueva is an instantly likable character and a superb frontman for Cuervo. If Aliens ever declare war on Earth and Hugh Jackman or Jennifer Lawrence aren’t available as ambassadors for peace, then Mr Villanueva would make a worthy understudy. His warm vocals cut through the musical mayhem being projected on-stage much like a glass of coke cuts through the grease of a cheese and salami pizza. Guitarist Carlos Romanos has a stage presence that rivals the absurdity of SOAD’s Darren Malakian. The wizard of sound throws every part of his body into every note that he plays; his eyebrows, his nostrils, his appendix…….everything. Percussion virtuoso Sam Sakr absolutely punished his kit and was bent forward so much that his back was running parallel to the ground the entire set. Sid Norris’s chestnut brown hair which shielded his visage, created an unmistakable resemblance to beloved children’s book character Grug. He seems quite reserved on stage until you look down at his hands. My god! Those fucking hands! They fingered the steel cables of his brown-noter faster than a kid with Parkinson’s, who’s been in the friend-zone his entire adolescent life, stabbing the cat of his high school crush after downing an eight-ball of gas. The knee-jerk syncopation that was littered throughout the set showed more discipline than the soldiers of the Queens Guard and as the performance progressed, even more influences decided to join the melee. Bite sized pieces of Karnivool’s “Sound Awake” album could be tasted in the chaos along with tracks like “Shut Up And Let Me Go” by The Ting Tings. Every song had unbelievably catchy instrumental breakdowns which breathed even more life and rhythm into the abundant nirvana of sounds entwining in the air around me. By the end of it all, the room was full of hungry punters screaming for a much deserved encore and I was right in the thick of it. Incredible high energy set from one of the most promising young Australian bands I’ve seen in years.

I was standing next to a few of the lads from RED REMEDY when Cuervo finished their set and they realised the magnitude of what they had to follow. As this was my forth time viewing the Sydney foursome, I had little doubt that they would have no problems knocking it out of the park tonight. The neo punk/screamo rockers were the heaviest addition to the bill tonight and they knew it. Red Remedy are brash, loud and unapologetic. Influences such as Refused and The Dillinger Escape Plan ring loud and clear, as well as songs such as “Disease” by Sevendust. They weren’t everyone’s cup of tea but that didn’t stop the boys from snapping up more numbers into their diehard fanbase. Zach Evans is a natural frontman who oozes confidence and charisma. His high pitched, abrasive banshee scream is the bread and butter of the bands’ in-your-face sound, which hits you harder than a fart in a bathtub. Leigh Czerwonka’s grainy, mid-heavy distortion accompanies Jess Rossiters hard-hitting, stampeding drum style and Adrian Booth’s booming bass, to a picnic spread full of Waldorf salad, chicken soup and lemon cakes, and then stomp it into oblivion like a Kaiju laying waste to an unsuspecting San Francisco. The heavier songs from the groups’ first ep were a bit much for tonight’s crowd but more approachable tracks such as “Love This Machine” and “The Butcher” from their sophomore release, lured the curious back in for seconds, much like mulled wine in the dead of winter. Solid set from a great Sydney band.

This was it. The crowd was primed and ready to go. SURRENDER THE SUN hit the stage to a sold out and well lubricated room of people gagging to hear tracks from the bands’ debut album “Tauri”. I felt as though I was the only one in the room who had not seen the group before, so I unpuckered my butthole and let the Sydney four-piece have their way with me. The show opened with a video projection on the back wall which transported me back to my childhood. The geometric shapes dancing across the screen reminded me of the Arwings from Starfox on the Super Nintendo. The music abruptly kicked in and I immediately felt Darren Navan’s huge rumbling bass in the pit of my stomach.  Shane Dwyer’s tribal percussion grooves drive the music as Luke Connolly’s delayed guitar work dances through the air like the ash of the obliterated Hometree of Pandora. The band showcase a progressive sound, with underlying ancestral beats that at times flirted with the idea of techno-like rhythms. It really was a great canvas for petite vocalist Gess Flynn to belt out her surprisingly powerful Siren song. The effortless way her vocals seemingly waft through the background of the music while remaining at the forefront, is on par with what Free Dominguez manages to pull off in “Before I’m Dead” by the Kidneythieves. At the conclusion of every track, the fervent audience reciprocated the noise back to the musicians with a volley of deafening, well deserved cheers. I found it hard to compare the group to other bands at first but as the much appreciated set continued, the influences crept through the air sneakier than the Hamburglar after graduating from ninja school.  Echoes of Cog, Breaking Orbit and Meniscus, chimed throughout the set as a troupe of performing artists twirled epileptic fit inducing LED batons off the side of the stage. Flynn left the dais and gave the boys some time in the spotlight without her. The trio bewildered the room with a rambunctious instrumental track in the same light as “Scarabs” by Karnivool which really demonstrated just how skilled the boys were with their weapons of choice. Flynn returned to the stage with a smile that told us just how happy the band were with how their night had unfolded. Surrender The Sun had the crowd eating out of the palms of their hands and utilized some really great sample work throughout the entire performance. My favourite moment of the set came during the closing number of the night when Connolly complimented Flynn’s commanding vocals with some really bangin’ harmonies. It left as quickly as it came and I could feel Sub Zero’s icy fingers running down my spine. That was how the set ended. They finished the show with me standing there wanting to hear those gorgeous harmonies one more time. The lights came up and the brood projected a sonic boom of cheers towards the chuffed stars of the night. I was on such a high as I left that I forgot to pick up an album on the way out which goes to show just how incredible tonight’s bill was. Incredible gig.

The incredibly hard working people at The Synesthesia Massive have once again given me hope for Sydney’s unstable live music scene by putting on an absolute corker of a show with four shining examples of the best in Aussie rock. I say this every review but it still rings true: if we all see at least one gig a month then the future will be in bright hands.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the music scene.

Joshua Towney

http://www.symbioticgigreviews.blogspot.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/SurrenderTheSun

https://www.facebook.com/redremedyband

https://www.facebook.com/cuervotheband

https://www.facebook.com/wewithout

https://www.facebook.com/TheSynesthesiaMassive

TWELVE FOOT NINJA • THE ALGORITHM • POLARIS

MANNING BAR – 29/03/14

Wormvestor Stallone abseils down the precipitous cliff face to deliver a holy hand grenade behind enemy lines. His mission; to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting group of Ocker invertebrates, which will allow the remaining member of Fish Bait Squad to slink in undetected for an easy victory over the tyrannical reign of Timcules. A month off the booze had caused my “soberical” fortitude to recede back to the glory days of my teenage, virgin liver, and at only two scotches in, my plan fell apart in the most unfortunate of fashions. The divine missile fell from my hands, off-target and into a mine littered crater.  Stallone decided to follow suit and was obliterated on impact. The impressive explosion launched a series of proximity mines directly at an already wounded Arnold Wormseneggar, ousting him from the arena and into a watery grave to join the rest of his fallen comrades. Upon witnessing my self-inflicted defeat, Mistress Flataitycus urged that we make our way to Manning Bar with the speed of Hermes. Heeding her wisdom, we departed Sparta with our army of three and excitedly made our way towards The Hot Gates of Sydney University, for death and glory.

Six-piece metalcore outfit POLARIS were an unusual choice to kick off the Sydney leg of the Troll Burger tour. Straight out of kindergarten and into the hearts of a few diehard fans up the front, the Sydney siders wasted no time in unfurling their mix of screamo laden chug-a-lug onto the unresponsive crowd. Most hardcore/metalcore/applecore bands are full of young, angry kids with a high energy front man fuelled by Red Bull, and Jamie Hails was no exception to the rule. His nasally screams filled the arena as he ensured to tag every bit of floor the venue had to offer. Bassist Jake Steinhauser was the far more competent of the two singers, providing perfectly suited clean vocals for the chorus-like sections of the songs. Guitarist Ryan Siew worked the crowd like a pro and was easily the most interesting person to watch on stage. That was until he decided to sit down on the edge of the stage for what felt like half the set. His counterpart Rick Schneider whilst not very active on stage, did provide some gorgeous sweeping guitar work which at times reminded me of Karnivool’s persona EP. Drummer Daniel Furnari appeared to be bored beyond tears. Technically he’s very good at what he does and he might even enjoy it, although his face does not betray his emotions. Despite all of this, the music as a whole was actually quite enjoyable as it was chock full of syncopated riffage, grinding chuggs and gorgeous sweeping clean overdubs provided by Schneider. The boys seem to have a decent following and sadly I feel they gained nothing in terms of exposure by playing this show. In summary; good band, wrong crowd.

I’ll be honest. I’d never heard of THE ALGORITHM before tonight and was confused at the unusual set up on stage before me, staring me down like a lusty minx. A lone drum kit overlooks The Pride Lands from its podium whilst a rather lengthy table housed a menagerie of electronica doodads of which I have no idea of how any of them operate. The French duo take to the stage during a remix of Dragonforce’s “Through The Fire And Flames” which stimulated our musical prostates in anticipation. The cautiously curious crowd look on as the virtuosos before me work their seductive musical magic which quickly causes more than a few pairs of ear in the room to prick up. What makes this band stand out is they appease to both electronica and metal crowds whilst not falling into the industrial sub-genre. The set as a whole was mathematically challenging; full of off-centre time signatures (such as 6/4 and 10/4) much to the delight of every musician in attendance. The music is metal orientated electronica with a Super Saiyan in the form of Mike Malyan on the drums. He pummels the steel and skins of his kit with the speed of Tara Reid’s demise from stardom. Brainchild of The Algorithm Rémi Gallego worked the mixing and engineering on stage. I have no idea how any of the equipment works but every gesture of his hands and every idiosyncrasy he displayed coincided with a battering ram of electronic legerdemain. He utilized the perfect amount of dubs per wub, appeased to the metal fans by incorporating heavy amounts of djenty guitar work and even contorted a smorgasbord of froth-inducing sounds that syncopated with the insane percussion skills of Malyan. It wasn’t until Kin of Twelve Foot Ninja joined the duo on stage that the crowd really started to get into the set. The multitude were starting to dance like toddlers at a Wiggles concert and the room was rapidly filling up to see what all the commotion was. By the time the boys closed the set with a remix of Daft Punk’s “Faster Stronger” the audience could chain link a smile from wall to wall. A thunderous applause saw off the French men and a new wave of excitement filled the room with the advent of the headliner. Brilliant performance from a genre defying band that will be making high rotations in my music library for the foreseeable future.

Melbourne’s TWELVE FOOT NINJA enter the dojo to demonstrate their sneaky assassin ways to the drooling punters in attendance tonight. The five piece have to be seen to be believed as the excellent recordings don’t hold a candle to their explosive live show. “Coming For You” harpoons our senses with its genre-abusing structure which shouldn’t work in any scenario (like ever) and yet, it more than satiates our musical appetites, as the song fits together like a perfectly constructed Lego Death Star. The inebriated mob were singing along in droves to anthem after anthem of the bands impressive catalogue of hits. Russ had his arms flailing away up the back of the stage like a teenage girl running into a friend she last saw only an hour ago. Damon was grinning like the Mayor of Halloween Town while he was hunched over his bass like Quasimodo, presumably to reach the bottom strings in order to add his distinctive flavour of fat, bouncy hooks into the music. Kin’s face suggested that he was exhausted during the performance but his flawless Patten-like vocals quickly shot that assumption out of the water. Fan favourite Stevic had his very vocal supporters in attendance tonight. I don’t know where it came from but one rowdy punter was screaming out to him on the opposite side of the stage to give him a slice of pizza……which he devoured in a single bite and much like a duck, the mastication process was non-existent. Rohan and Stevic had some nice duelling guitar battles going on at one point much to the delight of the rowdy room. “Molotov Brother” sent the endorphins in the room haywire and the world record breaking, crowd funded video of “Ain’t That A Bitch” helped cement a new favourite sing along for the increasingly sweaty mosh. The audience grew hungrier with every passing song of Twelve Foot Ninja’s patented brand of electro/metal/random genre fusion. “Portrait #1” had all but the four kids front and centre (who had been there since the doors opened and complained whenever someone bumped into them) bouncing along like an opportunistic Randy Marsh, and “Clarion” had us singing out of tune like an army of banshees. TFN close the show with “Mother Sky” (which finally got the gig noobs moving to the music) which the horde lapped up quicker than Goku can eat a meal after a forty eight episode battle. Twelve Foot Ninja are one of Australia’s tightest acts to date and it’s no wonder why their innovative brand of genre fusing metal is garnering cult-like adoration the world over. Glorious set yet again from the Melbourne five piece.

Australia has so many talented bands that can compete with the best the world has to offer. Twelve Foot Ninja are doing wonders for Aussie music overseas and they started out like any local band in sunny Melbourne town. Think about how many other bands we can propel through the ranks if we all attended at least one gig a month. Sydney should be the envy of other cities and not the proverbial black hole of the local music scene that we as a city have unfortunately gained a reputation for. Our music scene needs your help to nourish the volatile nature of the industry.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support The Music Scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/twelvefootninja

https://www.facebook.com/TheAlg0r1thm

https://www.facebook.com/polarisaus

KARNIVOOL, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS, SLEEP•MAKES•WAVES

UNSW ROUNDHOUSE - 17/01/14

“That’ll be ten dollars thanks” uttered the liberally tattooed, rooftop bartender of the Aurora Hotel. I walked away with an icy pint of deep amber lager in each hand and I was more puzzled than a dog looking for a ball that was never thrown. The short tempered Wolverine informed me that everything over the bar during happy hour was a measly five bucks and so, and so……and so we drank everything. Steins and goblets and chalices (Oh my!) piled up on our table like the halls of Valhalla as the pauper priced mead was rapidly depleted from them. We debated the uselessness of Superman and how the ridiculously turd “Arrow” was still on the air whilst our veins were continuously pumped full of any beverage that would have its way with us. The conversation turned to the amazing value of the majority of products available from K-Mart and then back again to Superman being shitter than a prune fuelled nappy puddle. Time soon got the better of us and Mr Cabman ensured that we made the inebriated journey into Coruscant faster than a bolt fired from a wookie bowcaster. It was time to marvel at three Australian bands at the top of their game under the roof of the infamous UNSW Roundhouse. 

The sun was still blanketing the sky when Sydney’s SLEEP•MAKES•WAVES hit the stage dressed in their matching black attire. The last time I saw them was at a pre-taco bar Excelsior Hotel (R.I.P.) playing to a total of around thirty people, so I was curious to see how far they’ve come and if their brand of instrumental/atmospheric post rock could hold the attention of a much larger room. The set opens with “To You They Are Birds, To Me They Are Voices In The Forest” from their debut album “…And So We Destroyed Everything” which filled up the vacant room quicker than Kanye West can offend someone after rousing from his self-obsessed slumber. From the opening note the sound was crisper than a post Vesuvius citizen of Pompeii and the boys were loving it. I immediately notice the incredible on-stage chemistry of the musicians, which for a band without a vocalist, is an absolute must. Viking overlord and bassist supreme Alex Wilson is the centre of attention in a love triangle between himself and the other two stringed musicians. As Guitarist Otto Wicks-Green surveyed the crowd his smile formed a perfect semi-circle reminiscent of Fozzy Bear. Percussionist Tim Adderley’s head was constantly gyrating as he threw every ounce of his being into punishing his kit. Guitarist Jonathan Khor rocked out like a quarry and although he didn’t play off the crowd as much as the other three did, he was still just as entertaining. Electronic drums and samples galore added to the pied musical canvas before me as every appendage on stage was flopping around like a nut sack in a sweltering Big Day Out mosh pit. At one point the Sydney based quartet were bobbing their heads to a different beat of the music; Wicks-Green to every forth, Khor to every third, Wilson to every second and Adderley to every beat. I’m not sure if it was planned or merely coincidence but it did amuse me while it was taking place. Guitar straps were the enemy of the band as both Wicks-Green and Wilson had to battle with guitars constantly trying to flee the stage, which had the roadies panicking more than the band seemed to put on. Sleep•Makes•Waves create lush musical landscapes which can be appreciated by people from all walks of life, ranging from pacifist hungry hippies to stubborn metal purists and it is little wonder they have gotten to where they are. Brilliant way to start the night.

After a rather lengthy visit to the world’s worst staffed bar, The Wolverine and I found ourselves back amongst the hot and sweaty crowd to welcome Brisbane’s DEAD LETTER CIRCUS to the arena. DLC are the epitome of bands exploding overnight; my first viewing of them was opening for Superb Lyrebird at the Annandale to twenty people and a mere month or two later, they had sold out the very same venue. The very fact that they were in the support slot showed just how epic the line-up was and when they opened the set with “The Space On The Wall”, the frenzied audience lapped it up. Anyone who has seen the band before knows about staccato friendly bassist Stewart Hill’s supernatural ability to nail his feet to the floor and bend around like the Roly Poly Man. The movement of his body effortlessly accents the position of every note he contributes to the melodies.  Vocalist Kim Benzie’s stage performance has come a long way since the release of DLC’s debut EP. He’s grown from an Ian Kenny impersonator into a whole new manifestation of commanding front-man that is entirely his own and he works the savage crowd like a seasoned conductor orchestrating the finale of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”. The instantly recognisable and altitude defying tones of his vocals are uniquely Dead Letter Circus and make their concoction of slightly prog inspired alternative rock easily accessible to any person who has ever proclaimed to have a love of music. Hits “The Mile” and “Cage” had the cattle singing along in droves as an orchard of branch-like arms lovingly reached out towards their idols on stage. I was half expecting Luke Williams on the drums to knee himself square in the jaw as his legs sprang off the pedals like a double-bounced cat off a trampoline. The battle continues as he absolutely punishes his snare after the break down of “One Step” which means it’s only a matter of time before one of them gets the better of the other. Six-string advocates Tom Skerlj and Clint Vincent guard the outer walls of the stage with an iron resolve, adding layer upon layer of echoed and delayed guitar work to the fold. Neither of the gargoyles let emotion betray their faces which causes them to look almost bored throughout the duration of the performance. Skerlj sporadically adds some extra stratums of percussion to the music, which visually takes the dynamic of the stage up an extra level to the excitement of a gentleman whipping me in the face with his dirty dreadlocks amid the mosh. DLC played a healthy mix of tracks from all of their releases which seemed to please every face in the room. Of particular note was when Benzie handed a camcorder to the centre security guard effectively making him a security camera (badoom ching). The sentries’ face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning at the chance of being involved in the show. As he handed back the device he proudly screamed out “Well that was a first for me” and resumed his post with a huge smile on his face. The Brisbane ambassadors close the lengthy set with the punchy single “Lodestar” which had Stew stomping around like a freshly angry Bruce Banner and gave the mob one more chance to unify with the band before they left the stage. Incredible set which put the anticipation for the headliner higher than what I had expected.  

Every eye in the room was focused upon the stage when the lights went dark. The tension in the room was denser than an adamantium coated bone claw and the drooling horde were waiting for their cue to start belting out their favourite prog rock anthems. Perth’s KARNIVOOL are welcomed to the platform with a cheer that would rival the decibel levels of the horn of Gondor and the boys waste no time by immediately busting out into the appropriately named monster that is “Goliath”. The sweeping guitars of Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking unify the bobbing heads of the room with a countdown for the advent of the bowel fisting rumbles of Jon Stockman’s beefy brown-noter. Steve Judd’s appendages were flailing around like paladin wielding a morning star as Ian Kenny’s head nodded like a curious cockatoo as he awaited his opening note. The atmosphere in the room was intense like the veins on the neck of a roided up body builder and as he opened his beer hole, the sweaty and overexcited chorus of punters insisted on adding their voices to his every word. EP track “Fade” made an unexpected appearance in the set and the entire room humorously belted out the first line of the song before mumbling the second one; even Kenny had a good laugh at our expense. The mosh was ready to cream their denim when C.O.T.E. had us frothing at the mouth at only three songs into the set. Hosking’s glorious barbarian beard couldn’t hide the child-like enjoyment he was experiencing as he brought the wrath of his twin hammers “Mjolnir” and “MC” down upon his unsuspecting xylophone. Kenny didn’t miss a note during the flawlessly executed “Umbra” as his expressive hands made you feel the raw emotion behind each song. The polyrhythm heavy tracks of “Asymmetry” were welcomed with open arms as Judd works the skins with a surgeon’s precision. “Sky Machine” and “We Are” had the masses swooning over Stockman’s delayed bass hooks and the angsty screams he used in “The Refusal” (which was my pick for the strongest song of the set); right down to the Lannister crimson lighting used to highlight the silhouettes of the prog-rockers. “Set Fire To The Hive” turned the audience into rage zombies by effectively injecting 20cc’s of adrenaline into the already savage punters. Kenny licked his lips as the ever increasing levels of excitement from the crowd became more obvious while Goddard maintained his cool demeanour throughout the set. Karnivool’s go to anthem “Themata” had us jumping like the boys from Kris Kross whilst the slow building “Alpha Omega” had me tingling with excitement of the arrival of Stockman’s thumping bass loop. As the band left the stage, the Karnivool brood voiced that they weren’t having a bar of it by being louder than an army of cats in heat. The Vool were heralded by a king’s welcome upon their return where they opened the encore with the fan favourite “Roquefort” much to the delight of the rabid audience. We jumped one last time and even the intrusive hair of Dreadlocks McSlappyface didn’t seem to bother me. Kenny thanks the crowd and announced the closing track “New Day” which had every security member on staff absolutely bewildered by the passionate crowd participation of the awe inspiring tune. Not  a single mouth in the octagon wasn't singing along to the perfectly chosen track to close this unbelievably ambitious show. The omission of songs such as “Simple Boy”, “Shutterspeed” and my personal favourite “Deadman” didn’t hinder the set one iota and I confidently walked away having witnessed the greatest performance I have ever seen Karnivool put on in my life; and I have seen a lot.

It’s gigs like this that make me go out and watch as many local bands as possible. I am filled with a sense of pride having witnessed all three bands quite early on in their prospective careers and seeing them evolve into rock titans that that are adored by strangers the world over. This success starts in the dingy pubs and dives around the country and without support from the people who claim to love music, then nights like this are going to become less accessible. If you like a support act then add them into your music library and make sure you join them on their journey. One gig a month really isn’t that hard to slip into your calendars.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/karnivool

https://www.facebook.com/deadlettercircus

https://www.facebook.com/sleepmakeswaves

The Butterfly Effect @ Mona Vale Hotel

BAND: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

VENUE: MONA VALE HOTEL

DATE: 29/12/13

SUPPORT: THE NERVE, TEAL

Anderson Silva screams like a banshee as he falls to the floor quicker than a businessman’s briefs in a whore house.  The zoo of blood hungry spectators spring out of their chairs faster than a greyhound on crack as a volley of high fives clash together harder than two opposing Iron Age armies. Tombledore elects to hold his position and immerse himself in the debate of the certainty of Floppy Foot's future MMA career. A lethargic Pikachu and I make our escape from the tavern amidst the swelling brouhaha and sneak in a quick siesta before our perilous journey into Mordor. Darkness shrouded our eyes as we rejuvenated our weary bodies and before we knew it, we were abruptly awoken by the screeching of an automated rooster. A quick glance at the social pokedex sent me into a panic as Sauron’s forces were set to march an hour earlier than expected. With a speed faster than Paris Hilton's acting career we found ourselves back at the tavern steps where the inebriated headmaster absconded from the inn with a wee four-pack of apple flavoured roadies. Our hire car hastily navigated the abandoned Christmas roads of Sydney Town and after a time crippling pit stop from Cider Bladder, we found ourselves descending into the ominous mists of Mona Vale.

The venue was emptier than the void left by a post Death Star Alderaan due to the show being pulled forward an hour early at the last minute. Unfortunately Sydney’s alternative rock quintet TEAL copped the brunt of this bullshit decision. It was evident when I walked in halfway through their set that they were less than happy about it as the performance was deflated like a week old balloon. The few of us in the audience who knew the potential of the band, gave the boys an aural cuddle with a thunderous cheer that should have come from a crowd three times its size. Vocalist Joe Surgey’s eyes lit up like those of a possum who had been caught stealing a mango and he humbly thanked us for the warm reception. With that little push, Teal were back in form; knocking the room dead with their solid brand of Mars Volta/Radiohead/Jeff Buckley flavoured rock. Bassist “Quiz” comes to life with a stage persona very similar to Scott Pilgrim; constantly bending his knees and leaning forward whilst standing on his tippy toes. Tombledore was quick to point out that the angry, militant Russian looking Shane “Bane” Benson on the skins brought down his sticks like the thunder of Zeus as he interlaced the songs with some gorgeous jungle-like tom work. Brothers Mitch and Andy Clews work their guitar legerdemain on opposite ends of the stage; Andy electing the role of the token shoe-gazer whilst Mitch bites his tongue whenever he is loses himself in the music. Surgey nailed his Buckley rivalling vocals, hitting notes higher than a stoner at the apex of Mount Everest. I only managed to watch two tunes from Teal’s performance before Walder Frey signalled his brethren to slit the band by the throat, effectively causing their set to end without warning. It was a really heartbreaking way to start the night as Teal in my opinion are the most promising band in Australia at the moment and they deserved a much better reception than what the Mona Vale Hotel had provided.

As Teal left the stage the punters started to filter through the door and people were heard complaining about missing them due to the rescheduling of the timetable. Everyone clung to the walls as Melbourne/Sydney based four piece rock outfit THE NERVE exploded out of the woodwork like a John McEnroe temper tantrum. The music is influenced by the likes of Drowning Pool, Head Filled Attraction, Kid Rock, Motorhead and Godsmack and has a blunt, in your face Australian feel to it that is impossible to overlook. My first introduction to veteran front man Ezekiel Ox (other than a quick glimpse of Full Scale opening for Sevendust) was at an empty Annandale hotel at the start of Mammal’s climb to fame. There were lucky to be ten people in the venue and the man performed as if there were five hundred in the room. He jumped up on the table in the middle of the room that I was standing behind and grinded into my face to the delight of my offsiders on the night. Anyone that knows me at all is well aware that I had a very deep seeded and passionate dislike of Mammal as a band but I was always captivated by Zeke’s dominating charisma and stage presence. Cut back to the present and it’s incredible to see that he has lost none of the oomf that have made every band he has been a part of a huge success. Sporting a purple shorts and rainbow socks combo, Mr Ox worked the void at the front of the room like a pro; targeting the people who looked like they were enjoying it the least and bringing the show to them. Modified moonwalking, corroboree-like dancing, nipple rubbing, model poses and jumping on top of the speakers to turn the spotlight out onto the crowd where he was performing, were but a few of the flamboyant and comedic rock moves he used in his arsenal to cause the room to salivate. After the deafening applause at the end of the opening track, Ox announced that he just proved that the front of the room wasn’t a barren waste land and it was a fucking rock show. Every person in the room meekly made their way to the front of the stage where we got a closer look at the rest of the band. On the skins was ex Cog legend Lucius Borich who literally had a smile on his face every second of the set. The kit he used was about half the size of what I’m used to watching him use but he still effortlessly makes every drum and cymbal in the rig his bitch. Bassist Davarj Thomas chewed his gum to the beat of the music whilst spooning out generous dollops of distortion heavy rumbles. Hammer-on abusing guitarist Glen Proudfoot’s jeans had more holes in them than an orgy on a golf course and his fingers danced across the strings like a budding coal walker on their first successful crossing. Even the roadie had his hands full the majority of the set; de-shirting Proudfoot mid performance and constantly untangling Zeke’s microphone lead throughout the set. The Nerve ensured to cram as much rock into their half hour set as possible which is guaranteed to put the hair back on alopecia riddled nugs across the country. The horde hung off every raspy word Ox uttered as the grunge/punk/metal inspired music added a delicious underlying canvas to lure the crowd deeper down the rabbit hole.  Tracks “Poser”, “Respect” and the gospel flavoured “Witness” were crowd favourites whilst the lads finished the set strong with the heaviest song of the night “14 again”. Zeke left the stage with a classy bow and left the three remaining musicians with a few minutes to lap up the affections of the crowd. Brilliantly entertaining set from a very young band who will be headlining sold out shows at major venues before you know it.

After an incredibly entertaining conversation with the gentlemen from Teal we were lured back inside by a sample of “Imago” from the album of the same name. Newly reformed THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT were here as a part of their first outing with new vocalist Paul Galagher who had massive shoes to fill following the departure of Clint Boge. I witnessed their Annandale performance on the first leg of the tour where everyone but the critics seemed to enjoy the show. It was awe inspiring to witness the sold out venue chanting “Paul! Paul! Paul!” three songs into the set. The problem that a good chunk of The Butterfly Effect’s fans have is that everyone goes in expecting Galagher to be an exact carbon copy of Boge. People need to accept that this is a new chapter in the band's career and that they wouldn't have elected any old slouch to front their well respected brand of highly influential, Australian prog rock. TBE smartly chose to open the set with “Filling Silence” from debut album “Begins Here” which immediately throws Galagher into the deep end and tests his skill set against Boge’s entire range. While the mix for the first half of the song caused the band as a whole to sound muddy, it didn’t take long for jaws to start dropping across the room. Galagher doesn't possess the theatrics that Boge brought to the band but he nails every note with military precision and in many instances surpasses his predecessor. Of particular note is when he reaches the higher/ballsier moments of songs where his vocals adopt a tasty grunge tone very similar to Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy. He is at his strongest when he has the microphone stand in his hands as he seems to dance with it, whilst his casual stage persona oddly enough reminds me of Lexxi Foxx from Steel Panther (without the lip gloss and pouting). The breakdown from “One Second Of Insanity” was slowed right down which although I didn't enjoy it at the Annandale show, seemed to work a treat this time around. The amount of faces guitarist Kurt Goedhart can make with his eyes closed is ridiculous as his dome bounces around like a bobble head toy. His unique flair is the heart and soul of the music as he throws traditional chords out the window in favour of his signature flurrying style. “Phoenix” sounded richer than a chocolate mud cake and was the first song of the set where Galagher’s grungy tones were a noticeable improvement over the last vocalist. Ben Hall’s glorious Spartan beard was lit up by the strobes at the back of the stage as he hammered away at his kit. Fan favourite “Window And The Watcher” had the crowd singing along in droves. It was always a song which I thought fell apart during the chorus but Galagher brought some much needed gusto to the performance where Boge wasn’t able to. Goedhart humorously screwed up the intro to “Aisles Of White” where Tombledore took it as an opportunity to whisper in my ear that Galagher “definitely wasn’t a substitute teacher”. There were some great harmonies with bassist Glen Esmond in some of the new tracks as Paul started to swig red wine from the bottle like the classy gentleman that he is. Esmond was the quiet achiever on stage; providing the crucial concrete foundation of voluptuous bass licks that brought the music to life. A slower paced “Perception Twin” and “Reach” had the mob eating out of their hands and before we knew it, Esmond announced the last song which led to universal groans of disapproval from the room. Galagher’s first single as front man “Eyes Down” which took me a few listens to wrap my head around, was chosen to close the show and was a more than worthy contender to do so. Killer set from the Brisbanosaurus Rex’s.

Even with the faux pas caused by the stubborn iron fist regime of The Mona Vale Hotel and the disappointing turnout, all three bands played as if the room was sold out like the professionals that they are. My crew hired a car for the day just so we could make it out to the gig which was well beyond my jurisdiction and it was worth every cent. With a bill consisting of a certified independent chart topper and two future groups of superstars, this show should have sold out the week it went on sale. The future of our great cities live music is in great peril if we don’t all get out to support the bands that deserve our attention. In the words of Captain Planet “The power is yours”.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/thebutterflyeffectau

https://www.facebook.com/thenerveaustralia

https://www.facebook.com/TealBand

NEOTOKYO - "NEON" Single Launch @ Spectrum

BAND: NEOTOKYO 

VENUE: SPECTRUM

DATE: 20/12/13

SUPPORT: MINUS HOUSE, RED REMEDY, WITCH FIGHT

“Thud! Thud! Thud!” came the sound of the footsteps ascending the aged and wooden stairs leading into Testosterone Manor. I was forced to release The Kraken as she was behaving like an ecstatic puppy whose owner had just come home from an exhausting day of working for the man. The nautical nightmare wrapped her galleon destroying tentacles around the ever smiling Jolly Tomjer whilst I took refuge from the heat amidst the path of the gyrating plastic blades of my twelve dollar K-Mart fan. I extended a lazy handshake to the Western Australian Minister for Water Conservation who came bearing gifts of ice cold apple ciders. We sculled the tart refreshments and with the speed of an alpha males maiden sexual encounter, we found ourselves marinating in the scorching sun we had so desperately tried to avoid all day. It was the type of weather that would have inspired the melting clocks of Salvador Dali’s masterpiece “The Persistence Of Memory”. The (Bon) jovial one espied a pauper’s limo, flagged it down with a skyward facing appendage and signalled us to enter the artic climate of the charcoal rent-a-car. The seductively cool temperature of the cab was negated by the awful top forty sounds of generic artist featuring generic artist but our chauffer Gagandeep ensured we made it to the burrito emporium with good haste. With our stomachs occupied by a splendid amount of salsa and guacamole, we entered Oxford Street’s Happy Meal sized venue, Spectrum.

Sydney’s fuzz heavy, stoner/punk two piece WITCH FIGHT open the show to a handful of early birds who opted to hang by the bar at the back of the room. I was immediately blown away by the biblically huge sound pummelling my senses which constantly caused Neotokyo’s shirts to fall off the walls behind the merch desk. The two members known only as “Boskie” and “Matty” instantly reminded me of the on screen bromance between Bill S Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan. Matty’s guitar sound is huge as it has to play the secondary role of a bass on top of his own instrument. He accomplishes this by utilizing three cabs in his rig and by employing more fuzz than the combined British police forces. The only time he took his eyes off his axe was to exchange occasional loving smiles between himself and his percussionist offsider. Boskie resembled Jay (from Jay and Silent Bob) in his Ninja Turtles cap and had the difficult dual tasks of both drummer and vocalist. He assaults his kit with an intensity akin to a heroine junkie taking his first hit in over a month while his vocals are raspy and full of angst much like Zach de le Rocha of Rage Against The Machine. This combined with a solid throng of vocal echoes only added to their monumental sound. The songs had me tapping my feet while taking notes as I am reminded of tracks such as Queens Of The Stone Age’s “Millionaire”, Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock And Roll” and Beastie Boys “Sabotage”. The set was laden with glorious amounts of sarcasm as Boskie’s stage persona is a cynical fuck who constantly and humourlessly mocks the stagnant audience between songs. Whilst performing he was a child who had gotten a drum kit for Christmas. Every clash of stick versus skin sent a surge of adrenaline through his body which caused him to make more faces than a game of Guess Who? In summary; it was short, it was brash and it was splendid.

The room had started to fill out like a post pubescent girl by the time Sydney’s neo punk/rock quartet RED REMEDY hit the stage. The show opened with a tom intro similar to the one used in The Offspring’s “Gone Away” which led into the instantly memorable anthem “Love This Machine”. From the opening note there were some serious issues with the mix. The guitars were superfluously loud and the vocals were buried beneath them. Sadly it took Mr Sound Man until their second last song to rectify this situation. This was a massive shame as Red Remedy have shown me before that they know how to steal the show from the overcards (case in point, Like Thieves at the Annandale a few weeks ago). This might have explained why the crowd seemed so reluctant to occupy the front of the room during the performance and why they were so unreceptive to vocalist Zach Evans' usual charm. The sound the boys produce is heavily inspired by the like of Grinspoon, Shihad and Deftones with a teaspoon of Sevendust and System Of A Down thrown in. The result is catchy and ballsy and would satiate the appetites of even the most prudish of alternative music fans. Guitarist Leigh Czerwonka is a statue on stage; his eyes navigating the ocean of pedals sprawled out at his feet. Bassist Adrian Booth oscillated back and forth over the same patch of stage like a kelpie wearing a dirt path into a backyard lawn. Jess Rossiter has a percussion style very similar to Sevendust’s Morgan Rose; constantly throwing his whole body into every collision he had with the drums. Evans, who resembles a young Billy Corgan, was as cocky and charismatic as ever. He seemed to have a hand gesture for every word and was still better at sign language than the interpreter from Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. His vocals are a blend of Grinspoon’s Phil Jameson and Shihad’s Jon Toogood with some screamo thrown into the mix to keep it fresh. As if they weren’t already plagued with enough technical difficulties that were completely out of their control, the second last song saw the failure of the on stage lights which forced the band to play in total darkness for the duration of the tune. Final track “The Butcher” was easily the strongest of the set and saw some nice syncopation between the bass and toms. Its proven formula of fast paced heavy verses and soft choruses was a solid way to end the set.

The floor had become a fly trap due to the amount of spilt drinks it had lapped up throughout the course of the night and Sydney’s ethereal/alternative foursome MINUS HOUSE came out of the gates sounding crisper than a chocolate wafer. They opened their set with a vocal sample and counted in the music on the rim of the snare. The room came alive with a menagerie of reverbs and vocalist Rowan Cane’s signature airy falsetto. Stand out track “Animals” had the room ebbing and flowing like a winter ocean tide. My gaze was constantly drawn to guitarist Liam Clark who was dressed as the love child of Mick “Crocodile” Dundee and a Ming vase. He’s lost in his own little world when he plays and sings along to himself with his eyes closed. Peter Calvert’s effectless bass laid the foundation for the reverb heavy twin Stratocasters on stage, playing the role of BFF with the kick and often meandering off on its own which reminded me of the riff from “Seven Nation Army” (The White Stripes). It’s impossible not to picture Coldplay, Oceansize and Cog nodding their heads with approval for the raw talent they’ve inspired as I watch on in wonderment. Barney Hudswell continued the trend of show stealing drummers tonight up the back of the dais. He grit his teeth together every time without fail whenever he performed a drum roll and constantly licked his lips throughout the set.  He also provided some surprisingly angelic backup vocals from behind the skins which intertwined perfectly with Cane's wispy and warble tones. Cane's vocals seemed a bit strained and a tad weaker than a week ago when I saw them open for Melbourne’s rock heavyweights Sleep Parade but other than that I can’t find a single way to fault them. Minus House are as consistent as the sunrise and I expect massive things of them in the future.

I took the opportunity between bands to drain Bear Grills’ tangy, hydrating elixir from my body and stumbled into the wrong part of a conversation between the visibly excited and/or nervous members of NEOTOKYO doing the same thing. The Sydney prog/rock quartet were the men of the hour and were here to celebrate the release of their delicious single “Neon”. I wasn’t familiar with the song they chose to open their set with but fuck me it packed Tyson powered punch. The mix was perfect from the start with all the instruments in their arsenal getting their turn to shine in the spotlight. Chris Tantchev’s Silverchair-esque vocals exploded out of the previously dormant volcano as he eyed off the individual members of the hungry horde that had gathered before him. The band as a whole were visibly looser and more comfortable on stage than I had ever seen them before. Bassist Michael Bargache bounced around on stage like Happy Gilmore after his first win. The bass lines created by his floundering fingers were beefier than a muscle bound cow with a grudge eating a t-bone. Adam Furness was grooving whilst singing along to the music and feeding off the incredible vibe I could sense coming from the stage. The onslaught of his clean reverb and crunchy Cog-like guitars providing a solid canopy of atmospheric sounds. Both guitarists turned to serenade the drummer at a point early on in the set which unbelievably got the excitement levels of the percussionist even higher than what they were already at. Jason Ludwig is always an absolute pleasure to watch. He is the entirety of Disneyland encapsulated within a six year old kid that has been placed behind a drum kit. He was obviously feeling the energy on stage as he kept trying to goad Furness and Bargache to turn around so they could jam together. Even his eyebrows were in on the action, moving up and down with the swinging of his appendages. Tantchev really stepped up tonight and put on the performance of his life. He still comes across as awkward when he has nothing in his hands as they come up in front of his chest like the arms of a t-rex but the look of pure passion displayed on his face when holding a guitar or microphone truly is a spectacular thing to behold. Debut EP “Pillars” opening track “Speak” had the throng of punters bobbing like buoys in the water and when the chorus was upon us, Tantchev confidently ordered us to sing. And sing we did. The drum and bass syncopation at the origin of the Hoobastank flavoured “Red” was mightier than Mr T’s Mohawk during his glory days. The only real downside to the set was that every time Tantchev’s megaphone effect pedal was used it wailed in pain, letting out a piercing aural stab to the eardrums. It was quickly remedied but it always managed to snap me out of my trance which had the same effect as waking up from a dream where you ruled the seven seas on your stalwart pirate ship, The Rusty Cutlass. Ludwig sprayed out a fine mist of water from his gob in a display of Triple H fandom before the boys kicked into the closing track of the night “Neon”. The solid single ditches Neotokyo’s prog roots and pursues a more direct and straight up rock approach. Its sound is a unification of Rage Against The Machine’s “Wake Up” and The Butterfly Effect’s “In A Memory”. It’s solid, catchy, full of vocal and musical hooks and will be sure to turn a few unsuspecting heads in the months to come. It was a brilliant tune to end the night which left me more gratified than Mick Jagger finally getting some satisfaction.

There is no better way of getting back at your critics then by proving them wrong. Neotokyo invited me tonight to do just that. They listened to the criticisms Imade about their performance at The Locies and ironed the majority of the kinks from their live show. They went above and beyond what I’ve ever seen them do before and proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have the right mental aptitude and raw talent it takes to conquer Australia’s perilous alternative music scene.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/NeotokyoMusic

https://www.facebook.com/minushouse

https://www.facebook.com/redremedyband

https://www.facebook.com/witchfight

SLEEP PARADE @ THE LANSDOWNE w/ supports

BAND: SLEEP PARADE

VENUE: THE LANSDOWNE

DATE: 13/12/13

SUPPORT: MINUS HOUSE, VILLAGE ECHOES

Moses Belamy stood at the base of the M4 motorway to part the perilous Sydney traffic, allowing the star struck and doe eyed Israelites that shadowed him to make their mass exodus towards the asylum of Fort All Phones. Only the rich and opportunistic were chosen to make the pilgrimage to witness the combined aural onslaught of Muse and Birds Of Tokyo. This meant that my Padawan and I were left to brave the muggy city weather in hopes of locating a more economical form of musical entertainment. Word soon hit our hungry ears of a free event being held at iconic music hovel The Lansdowne Hotel, which fell well into our paper thin budget. We hastily made tracks towards the econo-savvy dive, making sure to always travel in single file to hide our numbers. Arriving quicker than Leonardo Dicaprio’s journey to secure his inaugural Oscar, we enter the carpetless room where the beading, steel beer pipes were adorned with Yuletide tinsels of red, silver and green. The kitchen gods upstairs served up an animal friendly feast of vegetable sandwich towers, sticks of fried potato and flagons of gelid amber able to break our fast. After our stomachs had deemed themselves satisfied, I escorted my eager apprentice back downstairs into the musty band room where we awaited the advent of the preliminary performers.

I first scouted Sydney indie 3 piece VILLAGE ECHOES a few weeks ago at the Locies where I picked up a copy of their debut EP “Evolve” and I was curious to see how it would transition live now that I knew the songs. They demonstrate an abundance of influences throughout their performance with the likes of Bloc Party, Foo Fighters and Good Charlotte tickling my giddy eardrums. I immediately notice the absence of second guitarist Lauren Shapiro both in presence and in the richness of their sound. The songs all have the potential to be certified pop hits but they lack the punch that they possessed at the Locies without Shapiro there to chunk it up. Ridiculously catchy single “Another Thought” which is heavily influenced by the likes of Arctic Monkeys and The Living End seemed to suffer the most from her absence. Dominating stage presence Steve Parfitt wields his bass as if it were an extension of his own body and makes great use of his effects pedals to essentially turn a chisel into a jackhammer. He is by far the most comfortable on stage and seems to have a blast playing the music regardless of how lacking the crowd were during their set. Guitarist/vocalist Alex Almasi seemed distracted and uncomfortable whilst singing throughout the set, possibly due to his inexperience onstage or maybe because his father was videotaping the performance on his phone. When he moved away from the microphone and was purely focused on just playing guitar, his performance improved tenfold. The vocals of Almasi and Parfitt are almost identical and add no real diversity when both are singing at the same time. Up the back of the stage, powerhouse percussionist James Pounsett never took his eyes off the toms of his kit. The volume of his snare was set to eleven and the muscle memory of his arms ensured that they never missed their targets. He made great use of 16/4 beats and the cowbell whilst a single tuft of his fringe seemed to be trying to perform the role of a third drumstick. Slower track “In Memory” was by far the strongest of their performance as it was the first song to sound rich and full. Village Echoes are still quite a young band who show a lot of promise and are definitely a group to keep your eyes on. Every aspect of their performance will improve with a steady run of live shows and the sorely needed re-addition of a second axe into the group.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Sydney’s ethereal/alternative rock outfit MINUS HOUSE were on the bill. I first caught the boy’s open for Dead Letter Circus last year and was instantly hooked. Their sound is huge from the first note and the abundance of icy reverb coming from both guitars reminded me of Donkey Kong Country’s dreaded water levels. Coldplay was the most obvious influence throughout the set with some Oceansize and Cog thrown into the mix to keep it interesting. Rowan Cane’s stage persona seems disinterested in the performance, which oddly enough makes it all the more compelling. His captivating vocals ranged from airy and wispy falsettos through to some very sparingly used screams at the apex of huge crescendos in the music. Guitarist and Van Helsing impersonator Liam Clark was in another place the majority of the set, seemingly being lost in the music he was creating. Hirsute bassist Peter Calvert provided a rock solid foundation for the multitude of layered effects created by Cane and Clark. He did this without the use of a single effects pedal and by getting the deep humming drones of his instrument to waltz in time with the kick of the drums. He kept trying to sweep the mane from his bearded face which only angered his curly, chestnut locks. Drummer Barney Hudswell is an intense force on stage. He utilized his cymbals brilliantly and possessed great skills on the toms. Hudswell added an interesting level of fervour to the quartet by letting out a roar with every forth beat of the music and throwing in sporadic bursts of head twitches to let the room know he meant business. Minus House never announced their last song, so I was completely caught up in the atmospheric tunes when the set seemed to end without warning, leaving me disappointed and wanting more. I have no idea if it was a brilliant move by Cane or if they simply forgot to mention it. Either way, I’m gagging to catch them again.

Before tonight, Melbourne’s alternative rockers SLEEP PARADE were a band whose hype I just couldn’t fathom. They have gained the respect of Australia’s most prominent alternative artists with Cog, Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus amongst their supporters. I’d seen them play as a three piece a few times and I even walked out of their set the last time they were in Sydney when they opened for The Butterfly Effect. My opinion of them was about to change. Matt Delaney, the tenth member of the Weasly family, had made the move from bass to guitar and he was a much stronger performer because of it. He was utilizing some synth as well but it was completely lost in the mix until the end of the set. Taking his place was Silent Bob look alike Braiden Michetti who single-handedly shifted the dynamic of Sleep Parade from pub rock band to guaranteed stadium fillers. His bass lines played an integral role to the new format and made the overall sound a thousand times more vibrant. Think how important Chi Cheng’s bass line was in Deftones “Change (In The House Of Flies)”. This is what he brings to the table. Leigh Davies was sporting his trademark fedora and vest combo; he had no shoes but was all class. The charismatic front man brought along a legion of guitars with enough glitter in them to out sparkle the twilight universe. His vocals are the result of Jon Hume (Evermore) being thrown into a boiling cauldron with a half sprinkle of Craig Nicholls (The Vines) and Matt Belamy (Muse). Delaney on the other hand reaches notes only achievable by a castrated cherub which provides a nice contrast to Davies’ raspy vocals. Influences such as Muse, Radiohead and Coldplay rang clear throughout the set with hit track “Carry On” causing every head in the room (including the trio of bar tenders) to bob along to the beat of the song. No piece of the drum kit was safe from Dan Teng who had a look on his face as if he was in mid orgasm the entire duration of the set. The man really enjoys hitting shit with sticks. The distortion was sharp, crunchy and echoless while the clean guitars littered the room with copious amounts of reverb. A great moment in the set came when all four members repeatedly chanted “Ooyawayah” which served as a really powerful opening for the Cog-like anthem that followed it. Everyone in this band can sing in tune which is so god damned refreshing. The resulting harmonies that come from it are light-years ahead of what most bands are capable of and only serve to further increase the monumental wall of sound that was being displayed before me. Davies’ smile on stage whenever they played any new material was infectious; it was a grin of pure pride. A new song in the set which reminded me of Hed (P.E.)’s “I Got You” made me tilt my head like a confused dog, as it took me a while to wrap my head around it. It kept changing direction like a shuttle run, showcasing simple tom poundage and sludgy, note-bending guitar work akin to a spaghetti western. On the other end of the spectrum, song of the set “Passenger” roused a huge crowd reaction and was the strongest way possible to finish their gargantuan show. It opened with a jaw dropping bass line which continually danced scales up and down the stings of the brown noter and ended with the entire band engaged in glorious orchestrated chaos reminiscent of a raging thunderstorm. Sleep Parade left the stage having played a near flawless show chock full of anthems from start to finish. After the initial applause, the thirty or so people in the crowd chatted amongst themselves without a cheer to be heard which is why I was completely shocked to the point of almost being disgusted by the fact that they returned for an encore. The whole purpose of an encore is to make the fans demand it not to force it down our throats. However I quickly forgave them as the final song was a corker of prog rock splendour. Davies left me speechless when he screamed into the humbuckers of his guitars to create an amazing soaring effect similar to the sample of the baby used in Rammstein’s “Mutter”. It left me foaming like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert and made me instantly forget about the poorly incorporated encore from before. This demonstrated without question, just how ambitious and epic these rocking Melbournite’s are.

Once again the turnout to support touring Aussie bands was beyond disappointing. Sydney’s support of live music is infamous for being next to non-existent. I understand Muse were playing on the same night but this was a free gig which barely managed to get 40 people to the venue. This had nothing to do with the quality of bands on show (which was phenomenal), just the attitudes of Sydney’s elitist music fans who won’t watch a band unless they’re signed. Every band that played tonight have the potential to be something huge and I’ll be proud to say that I was there for them when no one else would give them the time of day.

Don’t be a dick, Sydney! Support the live music scene.

Joshua Towney

https://www.facebook.com/sleepparade

https://www.facebook.com/minushouse

https://www.facebook.com/VillageEchoes